A top Ugandan army official who was seen as a possible successor to President Yoweri Museveni has died at the age of 42.
Ugandan media say Brigadier Noble Mayombo died in Kenya Tuesday after suffering multiple organ failure triggered by problems with his pancreas.
Government officials say Mayambo fell ill in Uganda last Thursday, complaining of severe stomach pain. He was treated at two Ugandan hospitals before being transferred by presidential jet to Aga Khan Hospital in Nairobi on Sunday.
Mayambo was widely considered a rising star in Ugandan politics. The New Vision newspaper quotes a government spokesman, Ofwono Opondo, as saying some in the ruling party saw him as an eventual replacement for the president, who is 63.
An investigation is under way to determine if Mayombo was the victim of foul play.
President Museveni has ruled Uganda since taking over the country from dictator Milton Obote in 1986.
